Now check out our slideshow featuring the top 12 cliché stock photos, and be sure to leave a comment about them and the ones we missed!

1. The Multicultural Team of Close Talkers

The Multicultural Team of Close Talkers is the perfect photo to showcase a diverse workforce that likes to work very closely together. Bonus points if more than five people are using one piece of technology.

2. The Headset Hottie

Use this photo when you want your call center to seem friendly, customer-service oriented, and surprisingly attractive.

3. The Techno Yogi

Is your product or service so incredible that it makes the user experience a Zen state? Well, then, this is the photo for you!

4. The Hurdler

Can you help people overcome their biggest hurdles or obstacles? Why not show them with this stock photo of a businessman jumping over an actual hurdle?

5. The Frustrated-at-Technology Guy

Do you want to remind your customers about the pitfalls of your competitor's products? Do so with an image of a frustrated man, woman, or child (you can take your pick; you have plenty of options in stock-photo land!).

6. The Eureka Moment

Use this photo when you want to convey how truly life-changing your product is.

7. The AARP Couple

Is your target audience over 50? Be sure to feature a couple of silver foxes on your site to make Boomers feel at home there!

8. The Whiteboard Thinker

I've never seen someone write on a clear glass whiteboard in real life, but I've seen it hundreds of times on the Internet (including on our own site... no one said we were innocent!). Use this photo whenever you need to showcase strategic thinking!

9. The Token Female

Want to flaunt your feminine side while still showing that you can think strategically? Fear not: You can find the exact same stock photo (see The Whiteboard Thinker) featuring a woman!

10. The Handshake

Are you reputable? Show it with a handshake! Bonus points if it's multicultural!

11. The Success Jump

Do you jump for joy when you reach a goal? Nah, neither do I. But in stock-photo land, it's the only way to demonstrate success.

12. The Superhero Businessman

Can you help your clients with your superhuman-like skill set? Slap a logo on this stock photo and feature it all over your website. (Another one we are guilty of using!)

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Remember, not all stock photography is bad. We use iStockphoto for nearly all of our photography needs. But remember, if you use stock photos... do so selectively and responsibly.

I have always been tasked to show diversity in marketing. Shot 2 covers almost every demographic/gender. 2or 3 males vs females ratio. Cover each racial social type. If you saw this in Canada, you would also require another visible minority from Asia perhaps. Very unimaginative.

How about a photo that I've seen on 8 different pieces of marketing with the biggest contrast being from a) The outreached hand of a good looking blonde young man in a suit as the 'poster boy' for a cities Service Excellence Awards in Australia, then b) whilst travelling in Prague the same guy is in the same pose but with no shirt on, waxed and buff and is the 'gay poster boy' for Prague on the 'Gay Guide'. Either way he's a good looking fella...but amazing how it removes the credibility when you see the same person 'representing' so many different things.

Wait - are you telling me that photo #2 isn't from a real company that has hired equal mixes of culture, race and sex? I'm guessing that one of the participants in the photo is actually in a wheelchair and one must be homosexual, right? And it probably goes without saying that they are all different religions.

To Amanda (and everyone): I was totally expecting that blonde customer service rep, too! LOL If she somehow doesn't make the list, she definitely deserves an honorable mention. Not only have I seen her on countless websites, but also on printed collateral and even on a flyer at my pharmacy! She's become an M.S.P.C. -- minor stock photo celebrity. :)

I love this! I'll admit - my company is also guilty of using images similar to these. It drives me crazy seeing the same images (or models from the images) on multiple campaigns. I've begun to annoy (or inform) friends/family/coworkers by telling them the other marketing campaigns an image has been in. The public should know! :)In Utah, this girl is everywhere. Malls, dentists, plastic surgeons, and small businesses all use her. It drives me nuts! http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-4059327-pure-natural-beautiful-woman-in-a-health-spa-setting.php?st=6b49706